Ventricular tachycardia (VT) is a life-threatening, fast heart rhythm that starts in the lower chambers of the heart (the ventricles). This fast heartbeat is caused by abnormal electrical pathways located in the heart tissue. A standard procedure called a catheter ablation has been used for several years to help correct these abnormal pathways and, in some cases, improve or even eliminate the ventricular tachycardia.

During a VT ablation it is routine to monitor your vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation in your blood). If you choose to participate in this study we will also monitor your cerebral oximetry, the amount of blood flow and oxygen saturation to your brain during the ablation.

By doing this study, we hope to have a better understanding of patients' blood and oxygen flow to their brain during an episode of Ventricular Tachycardia (VT).

Participants in cohort will have implantable defibrillators in-situ and are undergoing ablation procedure for ventricular tachycardia.

Other: Data Collection Forms

Participants will be asked questions relating to pre-procedure items and be asked to complete an MMSE. Subjects receive standard of care surgery. Data collected from procedures before, during and after surgery.

Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:

18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)

Sexes Eligible for Study:

All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers:

No

Sampling Method:

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Participants will be selected from those that visit University of Kansas Medical Center Cardiology clinics.

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

Able to give informed consent

Have implantable defibrillator in-situ and are undergoing ablation procedure for ventricular tachycardia

Exclusion Criteria:

Patients who have been hypotensive with systolic blood pressure of < 80mm Hg prior to procedure

Cerebral event as defined by Cerebrovascular Accident or Transient Ischemia Attack within six months prior to procedure

Contacts and Locations

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below.
For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01695551